


Keepsake

by Mercy_Run



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Accidental but shameless incest, Ecto-Tongue (Undertale), Fantasy AU, M/M, Secret Relationship, Sorcerer Sans, Soul Bond, Soul Sex, knight papyrus, soul mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 03:08:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14275608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercy_Run/pseuds/Mercy_Run
Summary: As a Knight, Papyrus’ duties should be his only worry but the Royal Wizard has captured his attention and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t ignore how Sans makes his soul flutter.





	Keepsake

**Author's Note:**

> Honorable Mention prize for the Nethertale Concept Contest for @sin-for-the-win ! I tried my best to fit in what you asked. Thank you so much for your hard work!

Papyrus walked through the Halls of the palace with a measured pace, eye-lights moving from side to side as the tall skeleton made his usual rounds. While he was careful to maintain his outward calm and stick to his training, inside the monster’s soul was in turmoil.

He would be the first to tell anyone that he was perfectly happy to achieve his dream job and desire nothing else-! That would have been true...a week ago... But now Papyrus’ resolute focus had shifted to the point that his mind strayed during work. Nearly enough to compromise his high standards.

A week ago, Papyrus had seen the Court’s Sorcerer for the very first time. Not only was the tall Royal Guard shocked that another skeleton besides himself existed but what the Sorcerer had been doing caused his soul to flutter in an odd way.

The small skeleton was bent slightly to be more on level with two monster children. His palms were cupped together, the glow of cyan magic forming bursts of light causing the children to gasp in awe. The skeleton had been wearing a soft expression, sockets slightly lidded and teeth pulled upwards into something genuine. He must have made some movement to capture the Sorcerer's eye-lights and that gaze had shifted towards him.

Instead of smoothing out into professionalism or neutrality, the Court Sorcerer had softened further upon seeing him.

It had done delightful and terrible things to his soul.

Papyrus felt an odd pulse and immediate connection. The moment had been ruined by the Sorcerer being called by staff, the children and himself drooping visibly because he had to leave. The Royal Guardsman had become distracted. Unprofessional. ... Obsessed. He had done everything he could to find out more about this skeleton that made his soul feel so funny.

The Royal Sorcerer's name was Sans and he had been raised in the palace. Even though all monsters were gifted in magic, the small skeleton had an overwhelming amount of magic potential despite his rumored physical frailty. Papyrus was drawn to the other for so many reasons. That he was a skeleton and had made his soul feel so unusual upon meeting was more than enough. But after rooting around for more information on Sans, he was hopelessly enamored.

The Sorcerer was an enigma. A living and breathing puzzle for Papyrus to solve. Sans was humble despite being raised among royalty. He was both strong and weak. The other had been kind enough to mystify monster children in his busy schedule…

Sans had looked at Papyrus like he was special even though they were strangers.

His soul thudded, his gloved hands tightening into fists as resolve rose within his being. The Royal Guardsman suddenly turned on his heel, veering from his stationed rounds. Papyrus was tired of thinking and wondering. He needed to act before this stranger drove him mad with his mere existence. The tall skeleton turned a corner and then gasped as he collided with something, his larger form causing whoever it was to fall flat on their back while he only stumbled.

An apology was immediately spilling from him, “I AM SO SORRY, I WAS NOT WA-”

Words died in his mouth when he realized the monster he had collided with was the very same one that had been haunting him for a week. Sans pushed himself up onto his elbows, appearing slightly dazed and winded.

Papyrus sprang into action and gingerly grabbed the smaller skeleton up to help him back to his feet, worry written all over his face.

“STARS! I AM SO SORRY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? DID I HURT YOU? PEOPLE SAY YOU ARE FRAGILE, DO YOU NEED HEALING??”

A soft chuckle came from Sans and insecurities began to race across the Royal Guardsman's mind.

What was he doing? He was only a Royal Guard, a new one at that. A nobody who had just knocked over a high standing member of the Royal Court. Who was laughing… At him? Oh, he was so foolish!

A gentle hand taking his own outstretched one jerked him out of his spiral, his gaze snapping down to Sans in askance as his larger hand trembled in a telling way. The expression Sans was wearing was identical to the one when their eye-lights had met for the first time. Soft and warm, causing that flutter in his soul.

“i am okay… papyrus.”

The Royal Guard froze, unsure if he had heard the Sorcerer wrong. …Had he really just called him by name?

“HOW Do you…?” His voice trailed off, at a complete loss. Sans’ touch on his hand tightened in a gentle squeeze and then let go of the taller skeleton, motioning the way he had been going before Papyrus had knocked him over.

“come on. i’m sure you have many questions.”

Papyrus did and his feet moved eagerly to follow the smaller skeleton through the halls. Others shot them both a look as they traveled, curious as to why the Court member was walking with a new guard. The stares unnerved Papyrus a bit but he kept silent, too determined to get the answers to this ever-evolving puzzle.

Their destination was a part of the castle Papyrus had never seen before and he hesitated before entering the room after Sans. To his surprise, it seemed to be the Sorcerer’s personal quarters. The room was filled with books, artifacts and notes but they continued past the main chamber to the bedroom, causing Papyrus to flush a bit, face glowing orange. Sans turned to offer him a smile.

“i have been waiting for this day.”

What?

“you’re confused, that’s okay,” Sans turned towards him to offer the other skeleton his undivided attention, “how did your soul feel when we met?”

It felt like a bolt of magic had chased it’s way up Papyrus’ spine, his eye sockets widening, “YOU FELT IT TOO?! I MEAN… I… It felt very warm and like there was something deeper there. I… I could not stop thinking about it.”

He had expected Sans to laugh at him but the small Sorcerer’s expression was understanding and happy.

“it’s not everyday you meet your soul mate.”

…

Had he really heard those words or was this a strange dream he was going to wake from? Utterly speechless, Papyrus stood there with wide sockets, feeling as if he had been frozen in time. Sans’ smiled up at him and took a step closer.

“i’m sorry, that was really sudden… i didn’t know how else to tell you. wasn’t expecting to run into you today…heh…” A light sheen of cyan magic was collecting on the Sorcerer’s skull, his nervousness clear. It brought the Royal Guard out of his shocked state and he tentatively smiled back at the other monster.

“Are you certain? How do you even know this?”

He had to be sure. At his questions, Sans relaxed and motioned to the nearby sofa. The Guard blinked and then reasoned that this might be a long conversation at the very least so he made himself comfortable, the smaller skeleton taking a seat beside him. Their legs touched and Papyrus blushed, realizing that Sans wasn’t making this easy on him at all.

“you know how monsters have a mate who is born for them… all of us are incomplete and paired with another soul that completes us. i’ve known your name for years now but i haven’t had the luxury to find you. sooner or later, i knew you would come here. it’s been…a long wait…” Sans sighed, face settled into a gentle expression.

“So you have been here? Just waiting for me??” Papyrus questioned, still unable to wrap his mind around being that patient for something so important, “…and that feeling when I saw you…that was my soul recognizing yours?”

Sans nodded, pleased and Papyrus beamed, taking Sans’ hands into his own.

“Why wait any longer!?”

The smaller skeleton’s eye sockets widened in surprise, “w-what?”

“Why wait any longer to bond!? You have been very patient and I trust that you are telling me the truth! I was so confused about everything but to know we are soul mates was the last piece of the puzzle I needed! …Unless, you do not want to be with a Royal Guard…”

“w-wait! of course, i do! papyrus, you’re even better than i could’ve imagined. i would never turn you away. you’re my other half…”

Papyrus beamed, “then what are we waiting for??”

Sans stared up at him for a long moment of contemplation before smiling helplessly at his exuberance. Unable to deny Papyrus and himself, the Sorcerer brought his hands up before his chest. Papyrus copied the movement, knowing exactly what he needed to do. Every monster knew how to call out their souls, after all. In a flash of light, an orange hued organ sprang into existence between his cupped hands. Sans’ paused, immediately transfixed before remembering himself and a beautiful cyan soul was called out much more smoothly than the Guard’s own.

Their souls glowed between them, casting their respective primary colors on each other’s faces. Papyrus’ eye-lights shrank before pushing his cupped hands outward to urge his soul to connect with his intended mate. They both gasped breathlessly as the inverted heart-shaped organs finally brushed. The taller skeleton followed through with his motion, his larger hands catching Sans’ extended reach. Their phalanges twined together as their souls fully became one.

Papyrus held his soul mate close, fully connected. Flashes of information began to filter through his mind, Sans’ memories merging with his own. One of the huge reasons he hadn’t hesitated to bond in the first place. The tall skeleton had been wondering all about the other for a week now…

Images of a young skeleton, tiny and shivering and alone. An enormous dragon skull oozing bright blue magic… Firing at a man in a lab coat that Papyrus could barely make out, the memory making him feel displaced. Then Toriel was there, quickly followed by the King. Sans was afraid but the monarch had scooped him up, taking him to the castle. Years spent studying, hunched over books… Waiting… Waiting…

Sans was in a similar state, clinging to Papyrus as the skeleton’s memories passed into him. The tall Guard knew what he must be seeing.

How lonely he had been. Always out of place in the Snowdin Orphanage, though always trying to reach out and make friends. He met Undyne there one day, all flashing sharp teeth and loud voice. She had been talking about her recent promotion in the Royal Guard and she actually took time to be nice to him. His soul had immediately set on joining the Royal Guard so he could be with his new best friend. If he was part of the Royal Guard, he would get popular and be surrounded by more people wanting his friendship as well!

A sensation of serenity and coming home flooded him. Caught up in the moment, Papyrus’ sockets opened from where they had closed and he claimed Sans’ mouth; bright orange tongue sliding out to meet the smaller skeleton’s blue one. An electric thrill chased it’s way up his spine but another sensation worked it’s way into their connected souls. They only paused for the barest moments, drawing away to look into each other’s face for any doubt or regret.

They were brothers.

While it wasn’t in their memories, something fuzzy and unclear in Sans’ soul had tipped them both off. It was frowned upon and a higher Court member dating a Guard would surely be a problem as well. Still, there wasn’t any shame or hesitation when they reached for each other; Sans’ pulling Papyrus down with him. Their souls parted with reluctance so that Papyrus could safely cage the Sorcerer’s…his brother’s body beneath his own. Their gazes never wavered.

“stay with me from now on, papyrus…” Sans whispered and the taller skeleton smiled.

“You will never be without me from now on. No matter what.”

“I promise/i promise.”


End file.
